romulus-第7章

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nor　flourishing；　but　inclining　to　pine　and　wither；　he　immediately　made
outcry　to　all　he　met；　and　they；　like　people　hearing　of　a　house　on
fire；　with　one　accord　would　cry　for　water；　and　run　from　all　parts　with
buckets　full　to　the　place。　But　when　Caius　Caesar；　they　say；　was
repairing　the　steps　about　it；　some　of　the　labourers　digging　too　close；
the　roots　were　destroyed；　and　the　tree　withered。
　　The　Sabines　adopted　the　Roman　months；　of　which　whatever　is
remarkable　is　mentioned　in　the　Life　of　Numa。　Romulus；　on　the　other
hand；　adopted　their　long　shields；　and　changed　his　own　armour　and
that　of　all　the　Romans；　who　before　wore　round　targets　of　the　Argive
pattern。　Feasts　and　sacrifices　they　partook　of　in　common；　not
abolishing　any　which　either　nation　observed　before；　and　instituting
several　new　ones；　of　which　one　was　the　Matronalia；　instituted　in
honour　of　the　women；　for　their　extinction　of　the　war；　likewise　the
Carmentalia。　This　Carmenta　some　think　a　deity　presiding　over　human
birth；　for　which　reason　she　is　much　honoured　by　mothers。　Others　say
she　was　the　wife　of　Evander；　the　Arcadian；　being　a　prophetess；　and
wont　to　deliver　her　oracles　in　verse；　and　from　carmen；　a　verse；　was
called　Carmenta；　her　proper　name　being　Nicostrata。　Others　more
probably　derive　Carmenta　from　carens　mente；　or　insane；　in　allusion
to　her　prophetic　frenzies。　Of　the　feast　of　Palilia　we　have　spoken
before。　The　Lupercalia；　by　the　time　of　its　celebration；　may　seem　to　be
a　feast　of　purification；　for　it　is　solemnised　on　the　dies　nefasti；
or　non…court　days；　of　the　month　February；　which　name　signifies
purification；　and　the　very　day　of　the　feast　was　anciently　called
Februata；　but　its　name　is　equivalent　to　the　Greek　Lycaea；　and　it　seems
thus　to　be　of　great　antiquity；　and　brought　in　by　the　Arcadians　who
came　with　Evander。　Yet　this　is　but　dubious；　for　it　may　come　as　well
from　the　wolf　that　nursed　Romulus；　and　we　see　the　Luperci；　the
priests；　begin　their　course　from　the　place　where　they　say　Romulus
was　exposed。　But　the　ceremonies　performed　in　it　render　the　origin　of
the　thing　more　difficult　to　be　guessed　at；　for　there　are　goats　killed；
then；　two　young　noblemen's　sons　being　brought；　some　are　to　stain　their
foreheads　with　the　bloody　knife；　others　presently　to　wipe　it　off
with　wool　dipped　in　milk；　then　the　young　boys　must　laugh　after　their
foreheads　are　wiped；　that　done；　having　cut　the　goats'　skins　into
thongs；　they　run　about　naked；　only　with　something　about　their
middle；　lashing　all　they　meet；　and　the　young　wives　do　not　avoid
their　strokes；　fancying　they　will　help　conception　and　childbirth。
Another　thing　peculiar　to　this　feast　is　for　the　Luperci　to　sacrifice　a
dog。　But；　as　a　certain　poet　who　wrote　fabulous　explanations　of　Roman
customs　in　elegiac　verses；　says；　that　Romulus　and　Remus；　after　the
conquest　of　Amulius；　ran　joyfully　to　the　place　where　the　wolf　gave
them　suck；　and　that；　in　imitation　of　that；　this　feast　was　held；　and
two　young　noblemen　ran…

　　　　　　　　〃Striking　at　all；　as　when　from　Alba　town；
　　　　　　　　With　sword　in　hand；　the　twins　came　hurrying　down；〃

and　that　the　bloody　knife　applied　to　their　foreheads　was　a　sign　of　the
danger　and　bloodshed　of　that　day；　the　cleansing　of　them　in　milk；　a
remembrance　of　their　food　and　nourishment。　Caius　Acilius　writes；　that；
before　the　city　was　built；　the　cattle　of　Romulus　and　Remus　one　day
going　astray；　they；　praying　to　the　god　Faunus；　ran　out　to　seek　them
naked；　wishing　not　to　be　troubled　with　sweat；　and　that　this　is　why　the
Luperci　run　naked。　If　the　sacrifice　be　by　way　of　purification；　a　dog
might　very　well　be　sacrificed；　for　the　Greeks；　in　their　illustrations；
carry　out　young　dogs；　and　frequently　use　this　ceremony　of
periscylacismus；　as　they　call　it。　Or　if　again　it　is　a　sacrifice　of
gratitude　to　the　wolf　that　nourished　and　preserved　Romulus；　there　is
good　reason　in　killing　a　dog；　as　being　an　enemy　to　wolves。　Unless；
indeed；　after　all；　the　creature　is　punished　for　hindering　the
Luperci　in　their　running。
　　They　say；　too；　Romulus　was　the　first　that　consecrated　holy　fire；　and
instituted　holy　virgins　to　keep　it；　called　vestals；　others　ascribe
it　to　Numa　Pompilius；　agreeing；　however；　that　Romulus　was　otherwise
eminently　religious；　and　skilled　in　divination；　and　for　that　reason
carried　the　lituus；　a　crooked　rod　with　which　soothsayers　describe
the　quarters　of　the　heavens；　when　they　sit　to　observe　the　flights　of
birds。　This　of　his；　being　kept　in　the　Palatium；　was　lost　when　the　city
was　taken　by　the　Gauls；　and　afterwards；　that　barbarous　people　being
driven　out；　was　found　in　the　ruins；　under　a　great　heap　of　ashes；
untouched　by　the　fire；　all　things　about　it　being　consumed　and　burnt。
He　instituted　also　certain　laws；　one　of　which　is　somewhat　severe；
which　suffers　not　a　wife　to　leave　her　husband；　but　grants　a　husband
power　to　turn　off　his　wife；　either　upon　poisoning　her　children　or
counterfeiting　his　keys；　or　for　adultery；　but　if　the　husband　upon
any　other　occasion　put　her　away；　he　ordered　one　moiety　of　his　estate
to　be　given　to　the　wife；　the　other　to　fall　to　the　goddess　Ceres；　and
whoever　cast　off　his　wife；　to　make　an　atonement　by　sacrifice　to　the
gods　of　the　dead。　This；　too；　is　observable　as　a　singular　thing　in
Romulus；　that　he　appointed　no　punishment　for　real　parricide；　but
called　all　murder　so；　thinking　the　one　an　accursed　thing；　but　the
other　a　thing　impossible；　and；　for　a　long　time；　his　judgment　seemed　to
have　been　right；　for　in　almost　six　hundred　years　together；　nobody
committed　the　like　in　Rome；　and　Lucius　Hostius；　after　the　wars　of
Hannibal；　is　recorded　to　have　been　the　first　parricide。　Let　this
much　suffice　concerning　these　matters。
　　In　the　fifth　year　of　the　reign　of　Tatius；　some　of　his　friends　and
kinsmen；　meeting　ambassadors　coming　from　Laurentum　to　Rome；
attempted　on　the　road　to　take　away　their　money　by　force；　and；　upon
their　resistance；　killed　them。　So　great　a　villainy　having　been
committed　Romulus　thought　the　malefactors　ought　at　once　to　be
punished；　but　Tatius　shuffled　off　and　deferred　the　execution　of　it；
and　this　one　thing　was　the　beginning　of　open　quarrel　betwixt　them；
in　all　other　respects　they　were　very　careful　of　their　conduct；　and
administered　affairs　together　with　great　unanimity。　The　relations　of
the　slain；　being　debarred　of　lawful　satisfaction　by　reason　of
Tatius；　fell　upon　him　as　he　was　sacrificing　with　Romulus　at　Lavinium
and　slew　him；　but　escorted　Romulus　home；　commending　and　extolling
him　for　a　just　prince。　Romulus　took　the　body　of　Tatius；　and　buried
it　very　splendidly　in　the　Aventine　Mount；　near　the　place　called
Armilustrium；　but　altogether　neglected　revenging　his　murder。　Some
authors　write；　that　the　city　of　Laurentum；　fearing　the　consequences；
delivered　up　the　murderers　of　Tatius；　but　Romulus　dismissed　them；
saying　one　murder　was　requited　with　another。　This　gave　occasion　of
talk　and　jealousy；　as　if　he　were　well　pleased　at　the　removal　of　his
co…partner　in　the　government。　Nothing　of　these　things；　however；　raised
any　sort　of　feud　or　disturbance　among　the　Sabines；　but　some　out　of
love　to　him；　others　out　of　fear　of　his　power；　some　again　reverencing
him　as　a　god；　they　all　continued　living　peacefully　in　admiration　and
awe　of　him；　many　foreign　nations；　too；　showed　respect　to　Romulus；
the　Ancient　Latins　sent　and　entered　into　league　and　confederacy　with
him。　Fidenae　he　took；　a　neighbouring　city　to　Rome；　by　a　party　of
horse；　as　some　say；　whom　he　sent　before　with　commands　to　cut　down
the　hinges　of　the　gates；　himself　afterwards　unexpectedly　coming　up。
Others　say；　they　having　first　made　the　invasion；　plundering　and
ravaging　the　country　and　suburbs；　Romulus　lay　in　ambush　for　them；
and　having　killed　many　of　their　men；　took　the　city；　but；　nevertheless；
did　not　raze　or　demolish　it；　but　made　it　a　Roman　colony；　and　sent
thither；　on　the　Ides　of　April；　two　thousand　five　hundred　inhabitants。
　　Soon　after　a　plague　broke　out；　causing　sudden　death　without　any
previous　sickness；　it　infected　also　the　corn　with　unfruitfulness；
and　cattle　with　barrenness；　there　rained　blood；　too；　in　the　city；　so
that；　to　their　actual　sufferings；　fear　of　the　wrath　of　the　gods　was
added。　But　when　the　same　mischiefs　fell　upon　Laurentum；　then　everybody
j